Chapter 24 Cheap
Juliet walked out of Vincent's house. Her face remained calm and composed, and as she stepped into the cool evening air, she let out a slow breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.
For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of relief settle over her shoulders.
Everything had gone far more smoothly than she had expected.
Vincent hadn't made a bigger issue out of it, nor had he tried to stop her from leaving.
Now that it was finally over, it felt as though a weight had been lifted from her chest.
The thought made her shoulders gradually relax as she walked down the street. Everything was slowly starting to fall into place, and for once, she felt at ease.
By the time she returned to Cassian's house, night had already fallen. The sun had long disappeared below the horizon, leaving the streets quiet beneath the glow of scattered streetlights. The cool breeze brushed against her face as she made her way up the driveway.
She hadn't expected to come back this late, but after Vincent had dragged her away earlier, she hadn't really had a choice.
Thinking about it, she couldn't help wincing slightly as she reached for the front door.
Cassian was probably annoyed that she had returned so late.
With that thought in mind, she hurried inside and quickly climbed the stairs. Her pace slowed as she neared the bedroom, and her footsteps instinctively softened. She was already preparing herself for a lecture, imagining the cold look he would give her the moment she walked in.
However, the moment she pushed the door open, she stopped.
The entire room was covered in darkness.
Juliet blinked in surprise and stood frozen for a second before slowly stepping inside. The room was silent except for the faint sound of breathing. She gently closed the door behind her and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. A few moments later, she spotted a figure lying on the bed.
Cassian.
He was resting on one side of the mattress with his back facing her. A faint sliver of moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across his broad shoulders and outlining his figure against the darkness.
Juliet's expression softened immediately.
Quietly, she walked toward him and stopped beside the bed. Looking down at him, she noticed his eyes were closed and his face was completely still. From the way he was lying there, she assumed he had fallen asleep while waiting for her.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
Carefully setting her bag on the side table, she climbed onto the bed. The mattress dipped slightly beneath her weight as she moved closer and wrapped both arms around his waist from behind.
"I came back so late. Weren't you worried about me?" she asked in a soft, slightly whiny voice, pressing herself against his back.
The moment she hugged him, she felt his body stiffen beneath her arms.
Juliet noticed it immediately, but she didn't think much of it. Instead, she tightened her embrace and snuggled even closer, resting her cheek against his shoulder. Her arms remained locked around his waist.
A moment later, Cassian slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was clear despite the darkness.
He turned his head slightly and looked at her over his shoulder.
The instant their eyes met, Juliet smiled brightly at him, her eyes curving with warmth.
He didn't smile back.
His face remained unreadable, and his dark eyes stayed fixed on her in silence.
Juliet, completely unaware of the dangerous look slowly settling over his features, only moved closer. She slipped one arm beneath his and rested her head against the side of his neck, rubbing her cheek lightly against his skin.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
Her voice was gentle as she tilted her head to look at him.
"Why are you sleeping in the dark?"
As she spoke, her fingers absentmindedly played with the fabric of his shirt, smoothing out invisible wrinkles before bunching the material between her fingertips.
"I was so scared when I came in and couldn't find you. I thought you would be downstairs waiting for me."
A small laugh escaped her as she shook her head.
"Then I saw you here."
She tilted her head back and looked up at him, her eyes bright despite the darkness.
"You know, you look handsome even when you're sleeping."
A smile spread across her face.
"Seriously, how are you this handsome?"
As she spoke, she reached up and cupped his face in both hands. Her thumbs brushed lightly against his cheeks before she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
Cassian didn't react.
He simply continued staring at her.
The longer he looked at her, the darker his expression became. His eyes remained fixed on her face, silent and unblinking, while a storm quietly built beneath the surface. The muscles along his jaw gradually tightened, and his hand curled slightly against the sheets beside him.
But Juliet didn't notice any of it.
Still smiling, she shifted her position and climbed on top of him, settling comfortably against his body as though nothing in the world was wrong.
One arm slid around his neck while the other rested against his chest, and she looked completely relaxed, completely unaware of the tension steadily growing inside him.
She shifted closer until she was sitting across his lap, her legs brushing against his as she settled comfortably against him.
One arm slipped around his shoulders while the other rested against his chest. Tilting her head, she leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before pulling back with a smile.
"Were you waiting for me?" she asked sweetly, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the collar of his shirt. "I thought you were going to wait so we could sleep together, but look at you. You already went to bed without me."
She pouted slightly and nudged his shoulder before letting her hand slide back to his chest.
"You didn't even wait."
Her voice softened as she rested her palm over his heart.
"You know I'm scared when the house is this dark. I was honestly a little frightened when I came upstairs and couldn't find you."
A small laugh escaped her as she shook her head.
"But now that I've found you, I'm happy."
She looked at him with warm eyes, her expression open and affectionate.
"And I'm really sorry I came home so late. I just had a few things I needed to take care of, but everything is sorted now."
Leaning closer, she kissed him again.
This time, she didn’t stop at a quick peck.
Her lips lingered against his, slower, more insistent, as if she was trying to pull him into her mood. When he still didn’t react, she deepened it on her own, her mouth parting slightly as she kissed him again—more boldly this time, her fingers tightening in his shirt.
Cassian remained completely still.
Juliet pulled back just enough to study his face, then tilted her head and kissed him again, softer at first… then deeper, her lips moving against his with growing impatience.
When he still didn’t respond, she shifted fully on his lap, settling closer, her dress brushing against him as she refused to give up.
Her kisses grew bolder.
She kissed the corner of his mouth, then down along his jaw, lingering there as she murmured against his skin, almost teasing.
"Cassian… you're being weird tonight."
Her tongue traced a wet trail down jaw again before moving lower, along the side of his neck, slower now, warmer, as if trying to pull a reaction out of his silence.
Cassian simply sat there, letting her take what she wanted, his dark eyes fixed on her face the entire time.
The longer she kissed him, the tighter his jaw became.
But his hands stayed exactly where they were.
Juliet finally slowed, breath warm against his skin, completely unaware of the tension building beneath his restraint.
She continued playing with the collar of his shirt and tracing absent patterns against his chest, trying to coax even the smallest reaction out of him.
Then suddenly, his hand lifted and settled firmly against the back of her neck.
The movement was so unexpected that she immediately froze.
His fingers slid into her hair as he held her in place and pulled her closer. The playful smile on her face faded instantly, and she stared at him in confusion. The atmosphere in the room shifted so abruptly that even she could feel it.
What had started as light teasing suddenly felt heavy.
Juliet instinctively placed both hands on his shoulders as she searched his face.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The look in his eyes wasn't affectionate, nor was it amused. It was anger. Dark, simmering anger that looked as though it had been building for hours.
Before she could ask what was wrong, his grip tightened slightly against the back of her neck. His jaw clenched, and the muscles along his face became visibly rigid.
Then he spoke.
"You can fuck me for your fucking fiancé's sake all you want," he said quietly, his voice cold and dangerous. "But don't think for a second that I'll let you go back to him when this is over."
Juliet froze.
The smile vanished from her face as though it had never existed.
"No matter what you do," he continued, his gaze locked firmly on hers, "I will never let you go back to him."
For a moment, her mind went completely blank.
Shock hit her so suddenly that she couldn't even process what he had just said. She stared at him, trying to make sense of his words, before instinctively pulling away. Her body jerked backward, and she quickly climbed off his lap and moved across the bed.
"What?"
The word came out breathless.
She stared at him as though she no longer recognized the man sitting in front of her.
There wasn't even a hint of emotion on Cassian’s face as he swung his legs off the bed and rose to his feet.
Juliet watched him in silence as he walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window.